Oh, look! Here's how "newsworthy" the content TechCrunch got from Twitter was: so newsworthy that they're going to trickle it out one-per-day to maximize page views.<p>Again. I hate to be a killjoy. But last time I suggested this, it worked, so maybe it'll work this time too:<p>What happened to TechCrunch could happen to any YC company, or any company with HN contributors at it.<p>We can't make TechCrunch manage their publication differently, but we can refuse to promote what they're doing here. Just hit the "flag" button on these stories.<p>That's what I just did.
It seems like this might be the 'high tide mark' for both of these companies.. Techcrunch has definitely jumped the shark, and Twitter just might be close as well.<p>Twitter was on Oprah. Google is the new bad. Facebook is parentized. Myspace is still 13. Blogs are overtagged. Digg is all CAPS. Reddit is overtaken with athiesm.<p>When are we going to start laughing at the social media sharefest frenzy of this decade? It started with blogging, and it's going to end with twitter.<p>We're going to end up just like 1995, making our own websites with funky counters.
"Nevertheless, the publication of stolen documents is irresponsible and we absolutely did not give permission for these documents to be shared. Out of context, rudimentary notes of internal discussions will be misinterpreted by current and future partners jeopardizing our business relationships."<p>-<a href="http://blog.twitter.com/2009/07/someone-call-security.html" rel="nofollow">http://blog.twitter.com/2009/07/someone-call-security.html</a><p>Sounds like the beginnings of a law suit.
I'll admit that the info is somewhat interesting. But I have absolutely no respect for Techcrunch anymore. For a company/blog that garnered a ton of respect over the last few years for helping to promote interesting new startups, they have strayed far from that ideal. That they would accept information that was obtained illegally and then proceed to broadcast that to the world is dishonorable. They can't be trusted to be responsible any more.<p>For any number of upcoming and existing startups whose founders and employees read HN, I can't imagine that they would want any kind of ties to Techcrunch after this. I know that I sure as hell don't.
No one mentioned the Tipjoy part?! What is <i>wrong</i> with you people??<p>Twitter likes Tipjoy "has good vision" but Tipjoy is missing the "real banking" part.
I refuse to follow links to techcrunch.com (see 'ethics')<p>Added: techcrunch is making profit from a crime of privacy violation. this should be simply condemned. nothing else.
<p><pre><code> user = unique individual having a conscious twitter experience in a given week
</code></pre>
and they want a billion users like that? Will never happen
TechCrunch's Faustian dilemma: to sell or not to sell its moral soul (or what's left of it) for an astronomical number of page views?<p>Gee, that was hard - now where's the damn 'post' button?
It's interesting how difficult it seems to be for people -- in this situation in particular -- to formulate an opinion independent of their emotional bias(es) with respect to the parties here. It seems like the people who are fond of Twitter (and let's just say 'not-so-fond' of TC), are playing the 'ethics of journalism' card a bit hastily.<p>The other side has taken to simplifying the circumstances involved in a way that's willfully reductive. The details matter.<p>The info was stolen. It's out there. It's really unfortunate that it happened. It would have been a kind gesture for TC not to publish the info, but then again, kindness pays minimum wage. Anyone who claims that they're somehow offended or appalled that TC published in this case is being intellectually inconsistent -- every major news outlet gets their hands dirty on a daily basis to get headlines.<p>TC displayed some ambiguous ethics, to be sure -- it's just a bit childish to claim that the scenario is somehow unique when the other party happens to be popular.
I remember a company (FuckedCompany) during the first bubble that all they did was publish private memos, conversations, and documents. I was disappointed to see TC deciding not only prolong the story for days, but also publish some of these documents. What will they do next for traffic?
Twitter's best shot at making money is to sue TechCrunch. Other than that it sounds like they don't have many ideas but need to make $68m by 2010. Good luck!
This is really cool, gives a sense for how these discussions happen at other startups. Some similarities with our startup's discussions too, makes me feel... <i>normal</i>.
The big story here, and what's circulating on quite a few of the google news reports about this incident, is the apparent "insecurity" of the cloud. If these documents were on an internal network, it would have been much, much harder for the hacker to grab them since most internal networks are firewalled.<p>This is a huge blow to all of us web app developers looking to sell apps since things like this will make corporations untrustworthy of our defacto security system (username/password + forgot password).<p>Google Docs needs a "high security" option that removes these easy access points (forgot password), and other web app developers handling sensitive data need to follow suit.<p>We can fill in that role through some kind of manual process of confirming a person's identity via other means (not entirely sure how, but i'm sure there's a way).
Very interesting read. They seem pretty savvy.<p>It's got to be a concern to them that Facebook has done all of the things they brainstormed in the "how would Facebook kill us" meeting. I wonder what their "how would Facebook kill us" meetings since then have gone?
It would be wrong for Techcrunch to NOT publish this info, because by not publishing, it would simply circulate within the elite by other means. Techcrunch's friends, and any of the many companies with a stake in this, would find a way to get the info.<p>Its the little guy who is disadvantaged by this not coming out.<p>Whatever damage this leak has caused is not from TC publishing this, but from their negotiating partners getting this info. Which would happen no matter what TC did.
Has anyone thought of the possibility that Twitter leaked those documents intentionally? Do we have a statement from them dealing with the whole affair?
it does look like another twitter astroturf, they really haven't reported anything negative about twitter. All the things they posted, could be used as a promotion to pitch twitter to investors.
The first person to guess Michael Arrington's email password, grab all his secret docs about his upcoming tablet computer and publish them, wins. Let's see TC swallow that poison pill.